Lawmaker: Is the Army Paying Too Much for its New Ultra-Light Vehicle? | Military.com

Army modernization officials on Wednesday had to explain to Congress why the new, ultra-light combat vehicles the service plans to field to airborne units are so expensive.

Lt. Gen. John M. Murray and Lt. Gen. Paul Ostrowski testified before the House Armed Services Committee’s tactical air and land forces subcommittee about the ground force modernization budget request for fiscal 2019.

Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-California, wanted the Army to explain why the Army is paying more than $270,000 each for its new Ground Mobility Vehicles, “which are fairly-small, unarmored, jeep-like trucks.”

In mid-September 2015, Army officials at the Maneuver Conference at Fort Benning, Georgia stressed that Army light infantry units need a transportable, ultra-light combat vehicle that can they can take into a forced-entry operation.